The Complete Guide to Fire Blankets & How to Use Them

Every building in the Twin Cities metro, residential and commercial, needs to have fire suppression systems in place. In a large commercial building, there will probably be a full system of fire sprinklers or other specialized suppressants throughout the premises, whereas homes usually rely on portable fire extinguishers. However, another valuable tool for fire suppression that anyone can use is a fire blanket.

You may ask “what are fire blankets made out of?” After all, ordinary blankets are highly flammable. Rather than wool or cotton, fire blankets are made from woven fire-resistant materials, most commonly fiberglass. An emergency fire blanket may be stored in a wall-mounted glass case, as is often the case with fire extinguishers, or they may simply be placed in a convenient, reachable spot like under a kitchen sink. Continue reading to learn more about what fire blankets are and how they can help if a fire breaks out in your Twin Cities property.

What are Fire Blankets Used For?

You’re probably wondering “what do fire blankets do?” The main purpose of a fire blanket is to suppress small fires before the blaze has a chance to spread. For this purpose, a fire blanket may be a more effective tool than a fire extinguisher. One big advantage of using a fire blanket is that it won’t spray potentially corrosive chemicals all over the place like an extinguisher will. Most commonly, fire blankets are used to put out Class F fires that start in the kitchen. A “Class F” fire is one that begins with cooking oil, and is among the most common types of fire in both household and commercial settings in the Twin Cities metro.

Another potentially life-saving usage for an emergency fire blanket is to extinguish clothing fires. When clothes catch flame, quickly swaddling the person wearing them with a fire blanket is a good way to extinguish the flames before they suffer life-threatening burns. Additionally, a fire blanket may be wrapped around a young child or a pet to shield them as you carry them away from a home on fire.

How Do You Use a Fire Blanket?

If a fire breaks out in your kitchen, you’ll need to react quickly to suppress it with a fire blanket before the blaze grows out of control. Fortunately, fire blankets are specially designed to be safe and simple to use. The first step is to yank down on the tabs hanging from the fire blanket package in order to remove it. Next, open the emergency fire blanket and make sure to cover your hands with the fabric so they don’t get burned when you use the blanket. From here, how you use the fire blanket will depend on the type of fire being suppressed.

For kitchen fires or other small blazes, place the fire blanket down over the surface that has caught fire, such as a stovetop. While doing this, make sure your hands and face are protected by the blanket to prevent burns. You may be reluctant to get too close to an open fire, but it’s important to place the fire blanket down instead of throwing it. When thrown toward a fire, the blanket is unlikely to have the extinguishing effect you’re hoping for. Once the fire blanket is in place, turn off the heat source and wait for the blanket to cool before touching it.

For cases where a person’s clothing has caught fire, you’ll need to wrap the emergency fire blanket around the area that is aflame. The individual with burning clothing will then need to drop to the ground and roll around with the fire blanket to snuff out all of the flames. Once the fire is extinguished, they will need to discard the blanket and seek immediate medical attention, since burns are likely to have occurred.

One scenario in which you should never rely on an emergency fire blanket is when there’s a fire around live electrical equipment. Although fire blankets are often made of insulating materials, there will still be a risk of deadly shock when electrical currents are involved. It’s also worth noting that fire blankets are not reusable and should be disposed of once their purpose is served.

Next Steps After a Fire: Work with Fire Restoration Professionals in the Twin Cities

While fire blankets can be useful as fire suppression tools, even a small fire can have severe consequences for your commercial or residential property. If you’ve suffered a recent fire in your home or business, contact Arko Restoration today to schedule professional fire damage restoration services in the Twin Cities metro!